Folding camping body for automobile trucks and other vehicles



Ffa. LORENS, y FOLDING CAMPING BODY FOR AUTOMOBILE TRUCKSI AND OTHERVEHICLES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l'- FILED JUNE 5,1922.

FOLDING CAMPING BODY foR AUTOMOBILE IaucNs AND OTHER VEHICLES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. G. LORENS.

fILVIaD IuNEs, 1922.

l Jan. 30, 1923.

FRANK G. Lonmvsjor cnn'riin orrv, MINNESOTA. j

FOLDING CAMPING- BODY FOR AUTOMOBILE TR'CKS AND OTHER. VEHICLES.

Application ned June 5,

To ZZ 107mm t may consent:

Ee it known that l. Frama G. Lonmvs, a citizen or the lnited States, residing at Cen ter City, in thefcounty of Chisago. and State of vinnesota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Folding Camping `Bodies for Automobile Trucks and Other Vehicles; and l' do hereby declare the hollowto be a i'ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertainsto make and ,use the same.

This invention relates'to a body adapted to beplaced upon lan automobile or other wheeled frame and having housingcompartmentstherein. The invention is particularly designed to form a portable kcamping structure which isadapted to form a closed compartment forming body and whichis exftensible to form covered and roomy sleeping compartments. Y

It is-an object of this invention to provide a simple andecient structure of body which can be readily mounted upon a portable frame and which will form aclosed convertible and convenient housing structure which can lbe readily and easily extended to form sleeping compartments.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide such a body having in one compartment thereof 'hinged sides capable of swinging outwardly and upwardly and also having bed :trames normally disposed'in the body also swingable outwardly, which iframes are ysupported by said swingable side members.

*Other objects .andadvantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reiference characters `refer to the same parts throughout'the. different views, and in which,

` Fig. vl isa view in side elevation of the body mounted upon an automobile truck showing the same in extended position;

Fig.v 2 is a view in front elevation 0f the device, the lower portion thereof being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 343 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. e is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4.-4 'of Fig. l.-

Referring to the drawings, thedevice comprises a frame having transversecross members or joists l connected by two joistsQ, which frame carries'the iioor A3 of the main i922. ,Serial No. 565;799.

or central. compartment'of the lbody and is adaptedwto lrest and be supported upon lthe iframe 'or an aititomobile ork other vehicle lease.

liongitudinaily spaced members-d are diss posed on the rieor 3 and extend through the main-compartment and to the rearthereof. These members support 'spaced vertical members 5 which, in turnfcarry the upper transverse members supporting the roof` 7 which roof is shown as'downwardly curved at they front and rear thereof. Additional spaced Vvertical members Y52L- are disposed sub,- stantially in line with .the vertical members 5.* at the rear or' the li'loor 3vwhic`h vert-ical members yare connected by a cross'piece ad.-

4jacent the ktop thereof. The' compartment having 'the floor 3 may :be called the main ycompartinent :and a `rorward 4compartment `is provided having the fiole-118 inl a-lower plane .than'the floor 3, which forward compartment isprovided wit-hside entrance-doom9 of any c suitable andstandard 'constructionpthe iront oiJ said forward portion being provided Ywith windows lOin thesame manner as the forward part or' the-,standard closed automobile. i rear compartment Akis also `provided having a Yioor li-als'o ,disposed in` a plane belo-w the tioor 8, step and sea-t Aforming members 1.2 being disposed adjacent 4the central .compartment intermediate the iioors and il. Thecentral or main ,compaltmentl is also Y .j

provided adjacent its forward endlwith `windows .13 and the rear compartment is 'providedadjacent its v forward end-with windows le at each Vside thereof.

vThe centra-l'ormain compartment has sec- Htiens l5 @frits side members hinged-'atztheir upper edges on a lhorizontalanis-byhinges l52l or" any ywellflmown type so as' 'toiswing outwardly and upwardly and these-sections are provided. adjacent their end edges 'with inwardly extending partitions `16'tixedthereto; which partitions are substantially'trian- -guiar in shape or havetheir-inner4 edges .con- `verging. rill-ie partitions i6 are provided along vtheir lower edges with inwardlyrextending cleat members 17 for alpurpose to be later described. Also disposed inthe main compartment andnormally standinguprig'ht therein are rectangular bediramemembers 18, which are Aopen at their inner sides-and have their closed outer or bottomsides hingedly connected tothe longitudinal members 4, as clearlyshown in Figa. y:Blocks 26 yare suitably disposed on y'the door '3 to support the inner edges ofl the frames 18 when in inward position. These frame members 18 are provided along their upper or open longitudinal edges with projecting cleats 19 and when the sections 15 are swung upwardly and outwardly, and the frames 18 swung outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, the cleats 19 rest upon the cleats 17, which latter forms the supporting means for the iframes in such outwardly swung positions. its the sections 15 swing outwardly, the partitions 16 thus form closures for the ends oi" the space between the same and the side ot the body. Additional triangular panels 22 are provided for filling in the space between the edges of the partitions 16 and the vertical members each of which panels may be removable and is shown as pivoted at its upper edge to the vertical member at the end ot the main compartment. rIhis panel will then swing inwardly between the partition 16 and the vertical member 5. rlhe Seotions 15 are provided adjacent the lower horizontal edges with inwardly projecting bolts 20, which, when said sections are swung to closed position, as shown on the right hand side or" Fig. 4, pass through apertures in the members 4 and receive nuts holding and loclring the same in closed position.

The bed frames 18 are adapted'to receive bed springs or other suitable bed equipment which can be retained therein at all times.

rilhe rear compartment is provided with an entrance door 21 preferably of the usual screen door type.

The sides or' the body extend below the line of the floor 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and a compartment 23 is formed beneath the main compartment and is provided at its ends with hinged doors 24 provided with suitable-latching means. In order to give ready access to the wheel of the automobile in case of any trouble therewith another door 25 is provided hinged to the side opposite said wheel which door is also provided with suitable latching means for holding the same in closed position.

It is thought from the above description the operation of the device will be obvious. The device in closed position will be disposed as shown at the right of Fig. a, and while traveling will be in this position. When it is desired to arrange the body for sleeping, the sides 15 are released and swung upwardly and the bed trame 18 swung outwardly, as shown at the lett of Fig. e.

A convenient sleeping compartment is thus provided which is roomy, comfortable and well protected from the weather. The various compartments of the device can be equipped with various cooking or other utensils essential on a camping trip and the device will furnish a complete dwelling or shelter at all times. The parts of the device are both simple and can be easily and inexpensively made from standard material and quickly and easily mounted on a Ford or other standard type of automobile. rlhe device has been amply demonstrated in actual use and has proved very efiicient for the purposes had in view.

1t will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and proportions of the parts without departing trom the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A camping body for a vehicle base comprising, a main compartment, the sides of which are hinged'at their upper edges for outward and upward swinging movement, partitions extending inwardly and normal to said sides adjacent the ends thereot to close the end space between the same and the sides of said body, bed frames disposed in said compartment hinged adjacent their lower outer edges to swing outwardly to substantially horizontal position, and

means on said partitions supporting said` frames when both are in outwardly swung positions.

2. An extensible camping body adapted to be placed on a truck comprising, a main ioored compartment, front and rear compartments with iioors at lower elevation than the door ot said main compartment, side walls for said main compartment having sections hinged adjacent the top of the body, and rectangular bed frames normally disposed in said main compartment hinged adjacent the ioor thereof to swing outwardly to substantially horizontal position adapted to be supported by said sections when the same are swung outwardly and upwardly.

3. A camping body adapted to be supported on a wheeled base comprising, a main compartment, longitudinally spaced vertical members at the ends thereof, side walls hinged on horizontal axes at their upper edges, partitions extending inwardly and normally to said side walls adjacent the ends, said partitions having converging inner edges, said side walls being adapted to swing outwardly and upwardly to bring the lower one oi' said converging edges substantially to horizontal position, rectangular bed frame members normally disposed upright in said compartment but hinged to swing outwardly to substantially horizontal position, cleats on the sides of said frames, and supporting` cleats on the lower edges of said partitions engaged by said first mentioned cleats and forming the supporting means for said iframes.

4. The structureset forth in claim 3, and triangular panels pivoted to each of said spaced vertical members and adapted to fit between the same and the upper of said converging'edges of said partitions when said sides are swung outwardly.

5. A camping body adapted to be supported by a truck frame havngin combination, spaced transverse members adapted to rest upon the truck frame, a main compartment floor on said members, spaced longitudinal frame members on said Hoor eX-' tending throughout said main compartment and to the rear thereof, spaced vertical members supported by said longitudinal members, a rear compartment supported by certain of said vertical members having a floor at a lower level than the Hoor of said main compartment, said main compartment to be placed ona truck comprising, a main compartment, the sides of which are-hinged at their upper edges for outward and upward swinglng movement, bed frames disposed in said compartment hinged adjacent the lower outer edges to swing outwardly to a substantially horizontal position, and means on said sides supporting said frames when both are in outwardly swung positions. 30

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature.

FRANK G. LORENS. 

